Plus…. Trolley Car Café now open for business at Disney’s Hollywood Studios,
Update on lunch opportunities at Be Our Guest Restaurant,
and more!

We begin the February edition of the WDW Radio Newswire at Magic Kingdom Park, where there are several exciting bits of news to report. Let’s begin in Fantasyland, as the queue of Peter Pan’s Flighthas recently seen quite a few changes and upgrades. A major portion of the area is now fully enclosed, and several fun, interactive elements are now in place. Standby line Guests will now find themselves magically whisked away into the storybook world of Peter and the Darling children. In the first enclosed section of the queue, we see beautiful framed artwork lining the walls. The pictures depict several classic animated scenes from the movie, including a beautiful arial shot of London. Next, we turn a corner and find ourselves fully immersed in the experience, as we are now outside the residence of the Darling Family! First we see silhouettes of Mother and Father as they prepare for their evening out. Nana’s even out on patrol! (no tears for Nana, it’s a warm night, she’ll be alright) Shortly after this outside scene, we find ourselves actually entering into the Darling home. We make our way inside and immediately find ourselves in a hallway, individual portraits of each family member adorn the walls. We soon emerge into the children’s nursery. This is where the interactive elements take center stage. The nursery comes to life right before our eyes as Tinker Bell flutters around making playful mischief. As you wind through the nursery, Tink is right there with you, knocking into objects and hiding in chests, water pitchers, and drawers (all thanks to the aid of projectors). It’s also here in the nursery area where Guests can pass the time by playing interactive shadow games like ringing a bell or catching a butterfly. And speaking of shadows, it’s also here where we are visited by the shadow of Peter Pan himself! As we exit the nursery, Tinker Bell makes one last flyby for a final sprinkling of pixie dust. Then it’s time to board our ship, and we’re off to Neverland! Disney has done a fantastic job with these interactive queues in years past, and Peter Pan’s Flight is no exception. The state-of-the-art projection elements and the visuals of the Darling home and nursery literally bring the story to life before you’ve even stepped foot onto the attraction itself, serving as the perfect precursor to the whole experience. This is certainly a shining example of “plussing” things at Peter Pan’s Flight, as the queue is now playful, entertaining, fun, and sure to make the standby wait times far more exciting!

Continuing in Fantasyland, let’s stop by Be Our Guest Restaurantnow for some news on the restaurant’s quick-service lunch policy. For almost a year now, Disney has been testing a form of advance dining reservations to combat the massive lunchtime crowds at the restaurant. The test was only open to resort guests, and initially was by e-mail invite only. It allowed the opportunity to book a lunch reservation for Be Our Guest online up to 30 days in advance, and the test run proved quite successful. As of Wednesday, February 25th, advance dining reservations will be available to book for anyone who wishes to do so! Lunchtime hours run from 10:30am to 2:30pm, and you’ll even have the option to pre-order your meal online 30 days in advance all the way up to 5 minutes before your reservation time! For those who do not wish to pre-order, there will be kiosks inside where you can choose and order your desired meal.

Before we depart Fantasyland, I’d like to give a quick update on Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. The attraction is in the midst of its first-ever refurbishment, as it was shut down for repairs on Monday, February 2nd. A re-opening date has been set for Saturday, March 7th, which will put the total downtime for Ariel and her aquatic pals at just under five weeks.

Time to follow the hub over to Liberty Square now for some more news on the refurbishment front. It looks like the Liberty Square Riverboatwill be taking a short hiatus this summer, as the boat is scheduled to be docked for minor repairs on Tuesday, August 4th. The Liberty Belle will resume its course along the Rivers of America on Tuesday, August 11th, leaving the total downtime for the giant paddlewheeler at exactly one week.

Continuing in Liberty Square, it’s time to make a stop by the Liberty Tree Tavern. The tavern is set to see some significant downtime this year for refurbishment, as a closure has been set from Monday, July 6th, through Friday, November 20th. If these dates ring true, we’ll be looking at a total downtime of about 4 1/2 months. But hey, I’m sure the refurb will exude the tavern’s colonial elegance better than ever once it’s complete, and I’m very happy to see the closure will not affect Fourth of July Weekend crowds wishing to enjoy the ambiance of the beloved sit-down restaurant.

Time to follow the hub over to Adventureland now for the Rumor of the Month! For this one, we make our way over to the old Adventureland Veranda, as the rumor mill has been ablaze lately with the possibility we may be seeing a new sit-down dining experience at the location! But that’s not the best part, as the proposed theme for the restaurant would be the nearbyJungle Cruiseattraction! You read it right. There’s a real possibility we may get a Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant at the old Adventureland Veranda! The kitchen for the veranda was a shared space with Liberty Tree Tavern, and when the veranda shut down, the tavern claimed the entire kitchen area for itself. This could be one reason the Liberty Tree Tavern is facing a 4 1/2 month closure, as speculation points to the length of the tavern’s closure being due to potential kitchen upgrades. Could this massive kitchen overhaul be taking place in lieu of the re-opening of the veranda space? Time will tell!

Time to park-hop over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios now, as the Trolley Car Caféis officially open for business at the corner of Sunset and Hollywood! Trolley Car Café is the third in-park Starbucks location on property, joining Main Street Bakery at Magic Kingdom park and Fountain View at Epcot. In addition to Starbucks coffee, the café also features a vast and delicious array of baked goods. There’s a grab-n-go case inside the location as well, and during the morning hours you’ll find a nice variety of breakfast sandwiches to choose from. The theming inside the café is fantastic, as the photos, maps, switchboards, and props all bring that Big Red Cars era/Golden Age of Hollywood to life.

Before we wrap things up at DHS, I’d like to update the progress of the de-construction of the giant Sorcerer’s Hat. Work has been ongoing on the removal of the massive icon since early January, and as of the writing of this article about 90% of the hat has been de-constructed. All that remains now are the skeletons of the hat brim and mouse ears, and these pieces should be removed within the next week, officially restoring the view down Hollywood Boulevard to its original glory!

Well, that’s gonna do it for the February edition of the Newswire, but I’ll be back again next month with lots more news, notes, and happenings from Walt’s beloved Florida Project!

Be sure to let comment on what you think about the rumored Adventureland Veranda/Jungle Cruise restaurant rumor!

Don Myers covers news and recent events in Walt Disney World. He has been enamored with the World of Disney since his first trip to WDW in 1986. As they say, the rest is history! Don was also a contributing writer for Celebrations magazine, submitting over 30 articles and 7 cover stories for the publication.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2015/02/wdw-radio-newswire-peter-pans-flight-queue-soars-interactive-era/feed/5Disney From The Twenty-Something: The Jungle Cruise®http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/03/disney-twenty-something-jungle-cruise/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/03/disney-twenty-something-jungle-cruise/#commentsMon, 03 Mar 2014 14:15:43 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=34548When visiting Walt Disney World®, there is only one attraction that takes you across the […]

When visiting Walt Disney World®, there is only one attraction that takes you across the globe in search of adventure, danger, and corny jokes. The world famous Jungle Cruise® has been a Magic Kingdom® Park must see attraction since opening day and is beloved for its rich attention to detail and ever corny skippers. So let’s take a cruise down the rivers of the world to find out just what makes the Jungle Cruise® so special.

During the conceptual stages in the development of Disneyland®, Walt Disney wanted to create an attraction based around real life animals. Disney had been filming the True-Life Adventure series which captured the spirit of adventure and the beauty of nature and brought it into viewers’ homes. Ultimately, the decision was made to not use live animals as they could not be counted on to provide a consistent show for guests, although thankfully, this concept was revisited and became the basis of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Once the decision was made to not utilize live animals, Imagineer Harper Goff suggested basing the attraction off of the movie African Queen, thus making it one of the first Disney attractions not based upon an animated feature film.

Thus, the idea of the Jungle Cruise® came to rest on audio-animatronic animals delivering consistent shows for guests who would truly believe they were deep in the jungle. Imagineer Wathel Rogers was brought in to create the mechanisms used in the animatronics which remain lifelike and convincing today. The creation of a lush jungle environment fell heavily to master horticulturist Bill Evans who was put in charge of designing the attraction’s many scenes to look as though they are truly on a different continent far away from civilization. In addition, Imagineer Marc Davis created humorous sketches and scenes such as the camp being taken over by curious gorillas. Through the collaboration of many talented individuals, the Jungle Cruise® made its debut sailing on July 17, 1955- Disneyland®’s opening day. The attraction also debuted on October 1, 1971 for Walt Disney World®’s opening day, as well as in Tokyo Disneyland® on April 15, 1983 and in Hong Kong Disneyland® on September 12, 2005.

While the attraction itself is a classic, the queue really shines, being filled to the brim with detail, humor, and artifacts. Expanded in 1994, it is designed as a British outpost on the Amazon River that is home to the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. As guests move through the queue, they will come face to face with a moving tarantula, a dinner menu for the week which seems to feature quite a lot of chicken, and a sign honoring the company’s employee of the month- E.L. O’Fevre (say that one real fast).

Located throughout the queue and exit area are also dozens of shipping crates with the names and addresses of their recipients stamped onto the sides. These crates are not only great props, but an opportunity to pay unique tribute to the many talented individuals who helped make the attraction possible. Remember Imagineer Harper Goff who I mentioned above? He has a crate honoring him labeled “Goff’s Brand.” Bill Evans also has a tribute crate reading “Evans Exotic Plant Exporters 1313 Harbor Blvd Anaheim, CA 71755.” Not only does this crate honor Evans, it also features the address of Disneyland® and the zip code stands for July 17, 1955 which was Disneyland®’s opening date. Another barrel pays homage to Winston Hibler who narrated Disney’s True-Life Adventure films. His barrel is addressed to “ Dr. Winston Hibler- Special Arachnid Unit- Jungle Exploration Company Outpost #71755.” Once again there is that tribute to Disneyland®’s opening day! Wathel Rogers has a crate stamped “Danger! Please contact Wathel Rogers Animal Handler to enter live cargo holding area.” Fans of the defunct Adventurer’s Club which used to reside in Downtown Disney®’s Pleasure Island will recognize a crate addressed to the club’s once president Pamela Perkins. Finally at the exit of the attraction is a crate which reads “Ship To: Kenneth Annakin Director of Imports.” Annakin was the director of the Swiss Family Robinson movie, and underneath his name is also a tribute to Johann David Wyss who wrote the original novel.

Just look at all of that amazing detail to be found, and guests aren’t even on the attraction yet!

Upon reaching the loading dock, guests will be greeted by one of these twenty-seven foot alliterative boats which were updated in 1998 to look more rugged: Amazon Annie, Bomokandi Bertha, Congo Connie, Ganges Gertie, Irawaddy Irma, Kawngo Kate, Mongala Millie, Nile Nellie, Orinoco Ida, Rutshuru Ruby, Sankuru Sadie, Senegal Sal, Ucayali Lolly, Volta Val, Wamba Wanda, and Zambezi Zelda. Once onboard, guests will then meet their guide, entertainment, friend, and swimming instructor for the next three months, their one and only skipper. The Jungle Cruise® skippers are known for their over the top corny jokes which tend to leave guests groaning and smiling all the way down the rivers they explore.

Up first is the Amazon River where guests will encounter some beautiful butterflies which can have twelve inch wingspans. If they are lucky, guests might also encounter Schweitzer Falls named after the famous Albert…Falls. Next up is the Congo River where the skipper has arranged for a Pygmy welcoming party which has been mysteriously abandoned. While passing by the empty party, pay close attention to the three canoes along the shore- they resemble Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Guests also come face to face with some curious gorillas that infiltrated your camp and caused some mayhem in the process.

Moving on, guests are lead to the Nile River, which I hear “goes on for Niles and Niles and Niles and Niles. Don’t believe me, you’re in denial”. The Nile area of the attraction is home to one of the most iconic scenes throughout all of Walt Disney World® – the African safari-like area showcasing lions, giraffes, and numerous other animals. A pesky rhino can also be found terrorizing some tourists who he scared up a pole. I bet they didn’t believe that rhinos can outrun a human, “but I think they’ll get the point in the end” (groan!). There is also a close encounter with some head hunters where guests should listen carefully for a rather strange clip of audio. When the three head hunters attack from the left side of the boat listen to their individual audio clips. The first two shout out war cries and the third one oddly shouts “I love disco!” Around this point in the journey, the skipper will point out part of an abandoned crashed airplane. The other half of that prop plane can actually be found in the Casablanca scene of the Great Movie Ride over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. Concluding the Nile portion of the attraction is the section that wows guests for generations to come – the backside of water!

After being awed by that display of nature, guests enter the final portion of the attraction in the Mekong River where they encounter a temple left in ruins by a recent earthquake. Inside there are treasures, monkeys, and a pretty creepy tiger. Along a column near the exit of the temple is also a Hidden Mickey comprised of Mickey’s profile. It’s a tricky one to spot though, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t find it on the first try. Once they make it through, guests are treated with the other iconic scene from the attraction – the elephant bathing pool. Just make sure to not get sprayed! The final encounter in the jungle, and my personal favorite, is with Trader Sam the local head salesman. He’s always got a great deal going – two of his heads for one of yours.

After Trader Sam comes the most frightening part of the attraction…the return to civilization. However, the corny jokes and classic scenes keep guests coming back again and again to experience this classic attraction. 2013 also marked the first year that the Jungle Cruise® experienced a holiday overlay turning it into the Jingle Cruise. If anyone experienced the holiday version be sure to let me know in the comments, I would love to hear what you thought.

So be it adventure, danger, or exotic locales guests can find it all on the world famous Jungle Cruise® in the heart of the Magic Kingdom® Park. So until next week, remember the first law of the jungle everyone – don’t be a zebra.

(Photos are from the writer’s personal collection.)

What is your favorite part of the Jungle Cruise®? Have you ever spotted that tricky Hidden Mickey? How about the Jingle Cruise? Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Caitlin Corsello was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2012. Her love for Disney started as an infant and has continued to grow with family vacations to Disney parks almost every year since. She holds a particular interest in WDW’s parks and attractions, never passing up an opportunity to visit. She looks forward to continuing to explore and learn about all things Disney and to share that passion with readers.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/03/disney-twenty-something-jungle-cruise/feed/3Disney From The Twenty-Something: Best Characters From WDW Attractionshttp://www.wdwradio.com/2013/09/disney-twenty-something-best-characters-attractions/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2013/09/disney-twenty-something-best-characters-attractions/#commentsMon, 16 Sep 2013 13:30:19 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=30643While every attraction in Walt Disney World is great, some are defined by the characters […]

While every attraction in Walt Disney World is great, some are defined by the characters which bring them to life. Characters help to set the tone, introduce setting and time, and immerse you into the journey you are about to experience. I definitely have some favorite characters from attractions throughout the World, so I thought it would be a great idea to compile a list of my favorites and compare them to yours! Let’s see which character comes out on top as the favorite of WDW!

Ghost Host – Haunted Mansion – The Ghost Host is one of the few in the mansion to directly interact with guests, and he immediately sets the somber yet jaunty mood of the attraction through his introduction in the study. As you move along through the many rooms of the mansion, he checks in on you, proving to be an ever-present and ever-spooky narrator.

Uncle Orville – Carousel of Progress – Uncle Orville is constantly complaining about a lack of privacy, providing comedic interruptions on your journey through the inventions and improvements of the century. Plus, ole’ Orville must be applauded on his innovative air cooling system!

Rosita – Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room – Despite her near complete absence from the show, Rosita still has a completely memorable moment in the spotlight. Listen closely for Jose’s questioning of “whatever happened to Rosita?” as the beautiful singing show birds descend from the center of the room on their white chandelier.

Trader Sam – The Jungle Cruise – Two of your heads for one of his, what a deal!

Auctioneer – Pirates of the Caribbean – The auctioneer is coincidentally voiced by Paul Frees, the same actor who also voiced the Ghost Host. The auctioneer drives a hard bargain, remember it be gold he’s looking for. As the focal point of the auction scene in the attraction, he commands attention and makes light of the fact that he is selling brides.

Big Al – Country Bears Jamboree – Big Al steals the show from the first melancholy plucks of his broken down guitar. Despite singing about rather morbid topics, he never gives up- listen closely during the finale and you can hear him continuing to sing his same mournful tune.

Figment and Dreamfinder – Journey Into Imagination – While Dreamfinder is no longer featured in the attraction, it is only right to pay homage to him, alongside Figment. The pair set the playful tone for the journey through our imaginations where we learned to be playful and to always create.

Trolls – Maelstrom – Despite banishing you back over the falls, the trolls do a great job of combining Norwegian folklore and Disney magic all while protecting their forests.

Ghosts – Tower of Terror – While you probably are wise in choosing not to join them in the Twilight Zone, these ghosts add just the right amount of eeriness to the attraction as you make your way through the deserted hallways of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. My favorite of the bunch is the little girl who clutches a vintage Mickey plush while singing “It’s Raining It’s Pouring” in a haunting echo.

Warden – Kilimanjaro Safaris – Currently you can only find the warden on some of the pre-show footage shown on the televisions scattered throughout the queue for the attraction. However, when the attraction first opened he guided you throughout your journey across the reservation as you raced to save Little Red and Big Red (sorry Big Red). The warden’s most memorable line was explaining that Thompson’s Gazelle should only be referred to as “Tommies.”

Dr. Grant Seeker – DINOSAUR – First, let’s take a moment to collectively groan at his name. Okay, now that we got that out of the way, we can take a minute to appreciate Seeker’s playfulness, penchant for breaking the rules, and dedication to bringing back a dino.

So there is the list of my favorite characters from attractions throughout WDW! It was hard to narrow the list down as there are so many great characters to meet. Some close runner-ups were the yeti, Br’er Bear, Crush, and Marty Wazowski, but I had to cut the list somewhere! Be sure to comment below with your favorite characters from attractions and let’s see which one comes out on top as the favorite!

What are your favorite characters from attractions? Think I left some off the list? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

– Photos from my private collection.

Caitlin Corsello was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2012. Her love for Disney started as an infant and has continued to grow with family vacations to Disney parks almost every year since. She holds a particular interest in WDW’s parks and attractions, never passing up an opportunity to visit. She looks forward to continuing to explore and learn about all things Disney and to share that passion with readers.

Welcome to the WDW Radio Show. This is Show #24 for the week of July 22, 2007. Thank you for tuning in once again.

We’ll start off this week with some News and Views from Walt Disney World, as well as a quick trip to the Walt Disney World Rumor Mill.

Next, Fred Block, founder of MagicMeets will join me as we recap the MagicMeets 2007 event.

Grab your gear, as weâ€™re going to do another Disney Scene Investigation, this time, into the deepest, darkest and most dangerous of all of the queues in Walt Disney World â€“ The Jungle Cruise. We’ll look at the details, jokes, and wonderful references to characters, films and Imagineers that are subtly hidden throughout. And for this one, you’ll need to use your ears as well as your eyes.

I’ll look at another Hidden Treasure of Walt Disney World, and even a “treasure within a treasure”, as Iâ€™m joined by Jason Zucker, Cast Member and Disney Artist as we introduce you to a true gem at the Disney-MGM Studios.

I have been remiss in answering your emails only due to time, but I promise to get to a ton of them this week, as well as your voicemails at the end of the show, so sit back, relax and hope you enjoy this week’s episode of The WDW Radio Show.

Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon Challenge Contest

This is the SECOND of our 13-part WDW Â½ Marathon Challenge, where you get to play a new challenge every two weeks for chance to win all kinds of great prizes, as well as get to name the respective mile marker during the WDW Â½ marathon in January. Winners will also get a custom certificate suitable for framing to congratulate you for your efforts. Also as part of the contest, Eric, owner of GeoMouse.com is generously donating $100 per mile to the Dream Team project to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. At the end of the contest, we will have a drawing for a yet-to-be announced grand prize!